To commemorate the return of the Boston Red Sox to the World Series, here is a gallery of Fall Classic covers from Boston’s history that are either significant or just well-done. Of course if you want to see all of my Red Sox covers, you know where to go.
The first Red Sox World Series also happened to be the first of the modern World Series era. It was a best-of-nine affair, which the Boston Americans won in 8 games over the Pirates.
The first World Series Boston played as the Red Sox was in 1912, the first season of Fenway Park. Boston captured its second championship, again in 8 games. I love the illustration on this one.
There’s not much to recommend this program as it was the same design Boston used during the regular season, but the series was notable both because it ended up being the last title win for the Red Sox until the 21st century.
Boston returned to the Fall Classic after a three-decade absence, but couldn’t close out the Cardinals after taking a 3-2 series lead. Lon Keller, whose work is all over my site, illustrated this great cover.
A World Series rematch two decades in the making was another 4-3 win for the Cardinals. I don’t know who drew this cover but it’s another fine one.
By 1975 the era of individual team designs for World Series covers was over. Luckily for the 1975 Red Sox/Reds series, MLB commissioned the great LeRoy Neiman to create this beauty.
Sadly, by the mid ’80s World Series programs had become rather generic and uninspired. Witness this lame stab at patriotism, which accompanied one of the great World Series of all time.
I include this here not because I like the design — I don’t — but because this is from the first World Series title for the Red Sox since 1918.
The 2000s was a pretty mediocre decade for playoff programs, but the 2007 World Series entry is decent enough.
